July 19 (Bloomberg) -- Beijing should step up measures to
restrict the number of vehicles in China’s capital and ease
traffic congestion, according to a government advisory body.

“The government should set up a car exiting mechanism so
that there will be zero growth or even negative growth of cars
in the next five to ten years in the central area of the city,”
the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s
Political Consultative Conference said in a report on its
website today.

The recommendations come less than two weeks after the
nation’s biggest automobile association voiced concerns that the
government is preparing to widen the number of cities curbing
auto purchases. Such restrictions could undermine economic
growth and the ability for local brands to compete, according to
the government-backed car group.

Car sales should be restricted to people having legitimate
parking space and motorists should be charged a registration fee
when buying a vehicle, according to the Beijing chapter of the
CPPCC. Vehicle ownership in the capital will probably climb to
about 6 million units by end of 2015.

Shi Jianhua, deputy secretary general at China Association
of Automobile Manufacturers, said on July 10 that the trade body
is opposed to government vehicle restrictions because they
undermine consumption, deprive people of the right to own a car
and don’t do much to ease traffic jams.

The CPPCC advises the National People’s Congress, the
country’s legislature, and has committees that include economic
affairs, population, and ethnic and religious affairs. It is
made up of delegates from political parties, quasi-government
organizations such as the All-China Federation of Industry and
Commerce, business people and independent members with no
political affiliation.